Best To Run The Same Oil All The Time?
- Thread starter Mr_Luke
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AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
Heck man I was running the same type per vehicle but now it’s just whatever is on sale that is preferably conventional because my older stuff seems to like conventional best. In the newer stuff I’ll use a blend or full synthetic. I went to Walmart and got some Valvoline White Bottle and PYB on sale the Valvoline says blend it’s 5W-20 and the PYB says 5W-30 but doesn’t say blend though I’m sure it is. The Valvoline was .99 cents and they had two quarts left and one quart of the Pennzoil for $1.92. I’ve realized that brand doesn’t matter so much as long as it’s certified. I’d even run SuperTech now since my friend used it in his truck and it didn’t do anything bad. One day that might be the only conventional I can get in the 10W-40 or 20W-50. It’s fun to have a variety anyway. Now in the 2017 Camry my dad will only run the Mobil 1 since that’s what Toyota recommends.
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I really do not think it matters. I've yet to see any definitive proof of it making any difference.
The only reason I could think it might matter is that if someone is concerned enough to run the exact same oil every time maybe they are concerned enough to change it on time and take care of other maintenance items as well. While that is 100% on the owner and not the oil used it is sort of like a previous thread on dealer maintained vehicles where it was the habits of the owner making the difference.
The only reason I could think it might matter is that if someone is concerned enough to run the exact same oil every time maybe they are concerned enough to change it on time and take care of other maintenance items as well. While that is 100% on the owner and not the oil used it is sort of like a previous thread on dealer maintained vehicles where it was the habits of the owner making the difference.
Your engine doesn't know what brand of oil is in it any more than your body knows which brand of green beans you eat.
Oh, but what if you use different seasoning on your beans?
Is additive clash still a thing?
I think the OP is draining brand A and refilling brand B, so there would only be residual mixing. But and brand meeting SN or SP or whatever should be miscible anyway, so you should be able to fill with 6 brands if you need 6 quarts. I've done that with no ill effects. Otherwise I'd have a million partial bottles in my garage!
I've bounced most of my cars between PP and M1, due to whatever rebate was offered at the time. They don't seem to mind.
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- Jul 11, 2014
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- 4,118
Doesn't matter
Doesn’t matter.
Years ago, I posted some pictures from under the valve cover on the kids’ 2006 Corolla. Run on oil that was bought on sale, it got a different brand every time, was driven solely by teenagers on short trips. The worst possible use, with oil brands changed at random.
Absolutely spotless engine. Beautifully clean.
That car was given to a family in need last year with 225,000 miles on it. Paint peeling, interior worn out, but running flawlessly.
Years ago, I posted some pictures from under the valve cover on the kids’ 2006 Corolla. Run on oil that was bought on sale, it got a different brand every time, was driven solely by teenagers on short trips. The worst possible use, with oil brands changed at random.
Absolutely spotless engine. Beautifully clean.
That car was given to a family in need last year with 225,000 miles on it. Paint peeling, interior worn out, but running flawlessly.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
Hey now...
Have you lived an engines life???
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
I heard it does matter . Since every oil company have their own mix . Best to stick with 1 brand oil one type all the time .
pick an oil that you can afford all the time . Not just when it on sale .
pick an oil that you can afford all the time . Not just when it on sale .
I picked them all, Mobil, Castrol, Pennzoil, Valvoline, whatever I could get on sale, so...So the oil you picked is better than mine ...right????
At the time, the Navy Exchange was clearing out it’s inventory of SM oil. I was buying synthetic oil for $1.99/QT, and then, $0.99/QT. I had cases of oil bought for cheap, and Corolla got whatever was most accessible in the garage.
The Photobucket hosting isn’t as clear as it once was, but you get the idea...
Warning: Valve train pics after using cheap oil!
I just pulled the valve cover on the Corolla to measure valve clearance. Engine has 93K on it... Here's what happens when you use cheap oil (oil bought on sale...Valvoline, Pennzoil, Mobil, Toyota, and lately Castrol.). I've never paid over $3.00/qt. What should I do....U
bobistheoilguy.com
Makes no difference.
Correct oil specs and a regular oil change interval appropriate for vehicle, engine, location, and driving style is really all that matters.
Even sticking with the same brand will not give you the exact same oil through the life of the vehicle. Oil is always being "tweaked", and when you have an API change, you never know what you will get (like Valvoline refurmulating between SN and SP).
Correct oil specs and a regular oil change interval appropriate for vehicle, engine, location, and driving style is really all that matters.
Even sticking with the same brand will not give you the exact same oil through the life of the vehicle. Oil is always being "tweaked", and when you have an API change, you never know what you will get (like Valvoline refurmulating between SN and SP).
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- 624
I'm in my 80s and still do my oil/filter changes. So, I've been around long enough to have purchased a good number of new cars. I am well aware that many, if not most, people use a different brand on each change. I had one new VW Beetle for which the manual instructed the owner to "Select your brand and stick with it". I never saw that with any other car I owned. Again, I am well aware that many owners might change brands with each service with no apparent downside. However, I like to use one brand and stick with it. Right now I'm in the process of selecting a brand for my 2020 Chevy Equinox. On the day after I purchased it I drained the 0W=20 out and refilled with Valvoline 5W-30. Yes, I know. That's just me and my old school preferences.
gonna try a couple of different brands and have blackstone do an analysis of the used beans. will drain warm first thing tomorrow morning after my coffee.
Keeping with the vibe of the thread (no pun intended) does the car know it was driven by teenagers? j/k
The challenge for a car driven by teenagers, is their remarkable ability to ignore problems. Or warning lights. They never check the oil or tire pressure, for example. Don’t notice damage. Continue to drive as if the car is magic and unbreakable.
One day, I walked past the car in the driveway, and noticed a gash in the right front tire sidewall, with a matching dent in the rim. The gash was three inches long, covered the entire depth of sidewall, and when pulled back, revealed two layers of cut/sliced cord.
When pressed, the teen operator finally admitted to a “bump” when pulling out of a parking space after lacrosse practice. The “bump” was the corner of granite curb stone slicing the tire, and denting the wheel. To do that amount of damage to the wheel, it was more like a jolt, a bang and a crash, but hey, “bump” was the story to which the teen operator was sticking...
No thought was given to taking a look at that wheel. Just to see. The car was driven for another week, without even a cursory inspection of the “bump”, and had only the butyl rubber tire liner holding the sidewall together in that spot. Both layers of cord were damaged.
The car had the spare put on that night (teaching opportunity, I supervised) and got a new wheel and tire soon after.
No.
I always run the same type of oil, which is 0w20 FS.
I've ran Super Tech lately but I may run some NAPA FS made by Valvoline.
I can currently get some NAPA for less than ST costs.
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